Friday, June 04, 2004

We are awaiting your comments on the WEF Istanbul conference

Dear blogger,
This posting is the last one in the category called "2004 Istanbul World Editors Forum" and dedicated to the "Newsroom Revolution". If you were among the 350 editors from around the world who attended the conference in Istanbul, please send us your comments (see below). We need to enhance this event next year in Seoul (29 May - 2 June 2005) and your feedback will be welcome.
If you were not in Istanbul, we hope you will attend the Seoul Conference in 2005. Be on the lookout next week for our first posting in the "2005 World Editors Forum" category.
See the programme of the WEF 2004 Conference. Here on the editors weblog you can read a synthesis of the presentations. Another choice in the WAN website, which features the daily news from the conference. (select Forum for editorial issues)

Comments

There's obviously a lot of a discussion needs to go on before Seoul (even while the Istanbul sessions were such a draw) but can I just back the points made by Gloria and Bachi.

The Forum desperately needs a way for its members to hook up with eachother during the conference so that people can talk one-to-one. The difficulty of doing this was mentioned to me by many participatnts. I'd recommend 3 ways to improve this:-
a) more legible name badges.
b) a specific WEF social gathering early in the programme.
c) a user-friendly message board or exchange for setting up meetings.

Second, Bachi is right that we shouldn't feel confined to only the large hall sessions. We made a start in Istanbul with the breakfast with Turkish editors. But there's no reason why we shiouldn't have more smaller sessions which aren't designed to be of mass interest. Perhaps devoted to particular regions or countries?

George

Posted by: George Brock at Jun 25, 2004 10:57:41 AM

Hello, Bertrand. I'd like to pass along comments I received in Turkey. (First of all, more than one person said that the program in Istanbul was the best ever. Kudos to you and all who participated in the programs.)

Overlapping sessions of WEF and WAN continue to frustrate people who would like to hear both programs. It was suggested that we stagger the two meetings, beginning one a couple of days before the other and holding all joint sessions on one overlapping day. The opening cocktail for WAN, for example, would be the final event of WEF or vice versa. That way, people could attend both WAN and WEF if they care to invest the time and money (perhaps at a discount for both conferences).

Another suggestion was to build in some time for people to get together one-on-one or in small groups to discuss their interests or issues. At the World Magazine Marketplace, each program segment is followed by 45 minutes of "blank" time so that attendees can meet with each other. WMM has a computerized calendar; people go to a central desk and register their interest to meet with someone at a given time. Perhaps WEF could experiment with something similar in Seoul, maybe for just one day.

Finally it was suggested that buffet lunches work better than sit-down lunches for large groups because they're quicker.

All best, gba

Posted by: Gloria B. Anderson at Jun 17, 2004 5:03:10 PM

Congratulations Bertrand, your personal attention to the smallest detail made the event dynamic and streamlined.
In Seoul, I would like the emphasis to move to interactivity. All sessions tend to become a one-way street, with the guys on the podium doing the talking, and the audience being passive listeners, at best getting in a question or more at the end, depending on how well the Chair has policed timing. Could we have more workshop/ roundtable style sessions where more people get to participate. This would enrich the experience; more insights, more ideas on how things work in more media. Here we would need to choose an even stronger moderator who ensures that people are actually contributing, making a point not just carrying on a rambling flirtation with their own voice. We discussed very few subjects at Istanbul, and this format could be a way of getting more in. Delegates should ideally sign up beforehand. All the best, bachi